Cycling Tour of Scotland Edinburgh to Berwick

Single / Double

Tour Period

Tour Nights

Tour description

A five centre self-guided cycle tour from Edinburgh in Scotland to Berwick in England. 6 nights B&B (en-suite wherever possible) guesthouse accommodation with 5 days cycling. Includes; luggage transfers, return rail ticket to Edinburgh, route guide and maps. Hire of a 21 speed all-terrain would be extra.
Starting in the magnificent city of Edinburgh, you can enjoy the huge variety of tourist attractions here before beginning the ride. Heading out of the city the route takes you into the beautiful Scottish countryside and the scenic upper Tweed valley. The rest of the route follows the River along quiet country lanes, through border towns like Melrose, Galashiels and Kelso. Each day you will pass impassive castles and fortified buildings left over from this regions violent history. As you approach your destination of this tour, the river also ends is journey at Berwick upon Tweed. An extra day here allows you to visit Lindisfarne on the magical Holy Island. The final morning after breakfast you catch a train (with your bike) back to Edinburgh.

Sample schedule

START and FINISH: Edinburgh is on the East coast of central Scotland.

ARRIVAL DAY: At Edinburgh. Your 1st nights’ accommodation is in the centre of the city close to Edinburgh Castle and many other tourist attractions. There is a huge variety for places to eat in the city from fish and chip shops to luxury restaurants (not included). Overnight Edinburgh, Scotland.

DAY TWO: Edinburgh to Gorebridge. Distance approx. 18 miles (27km). After breakfast you would begin the ride through Edinburgh passing many historical buildings along well signposted cycle lanes. Leaving the hustle and bustle of the city behind you there are many opportunities for refreshments or lunch in the city suburbs. The scenery changes dramatically as you enter the Scottish countryside, cycling along quiet green country lanes. Your next overnight stop could not be more different from the last. It is a working farm and guesthouse, arrangements will be made to transport you to a local pub for your evening meal (not included). Gorebridge, Scotland.

DAY THREE: Gorebridge to Galashiels. Distance approx 35 miles (56km). An extra oatcake and honey may be a good idea this morning, because today includes the only hill climb of this trip. Rising up to the Moorfoot hills your efforts are rewarded by the spectacular views back over Edinburgh and the Firth of Forth. The route then descends into the upper Tweed valley and the town of Innerleithen. Just a mile across the river is Traquair House and the Traquair Hotel, this would be a good opportunity for lunch. Famous for its salmon fishing the River Tweed will be your companion for the rest of the trip. A beautiful wooded section along country lanes leads to your next stop, Galashiels. A busy market town there are many places to eat here including traditional pubs, cafés and restaurants (not included). Overnight Galashiels, Scotland.

DAY FOUR: Galashiels to Kelso. Distance approx 19 miles (30km). This is a short and very easy section of the route today. This allows you plenty of time to view the many abbeys, castles and fortified buildings that indicate this regions tempestuous history. Abbotsford house is just one, home to Sir Walter Scott who wrote of the warring English and Scots turning these borderlands into a battlefield. Newtown St. Boswells is the last town of any size today, so this would be a good place to have lunch. The route then takes you into open farmland overlooking the river Tweed for about 10 miles passing the impressive Floors Castle near Kelso your destination for today. Another busy market town Kelso offers many pubs, cafés and restaurants for the hungry traveller (not included). Overnight Kelso, Scotland.

DAY FIVE: Kelso to Berwick upon Tweed. Distance approx 30 miles (48km). From Kelso you will leave the river for a while along quiet country lanes dotted with farm cottages and grander houses once owned by the lowland lairds of Scotland. The town of Coldstream is well worth a visit and perhaps lunch, this is where the Coldstream Guards get there name. Continuing along the river through the beautiful Tweed valley the route crosses the river and passes a 12th century Norman castle at Norham. An unusual metal bridge then takes you back across the river before reaching your final destination of the tour, Berwick upon Tweed. This walled town (the most northern in England) has a good variety of places to eat (not included). Overnight Berwick upon Tweed, England.

DAY SIX: Berwick to Holy Island and back to Berwick. Distance 30 miles (48km). Heading south along the Northumbrian coastline through the Cocklawburn Nature Reserve you reach Holy Island, where there is a causeway that crosses to the island. You will be given a tide time table to time your crossing, the island is cut off from the mainland twice a day by the incoming North Sea. Once on the Island there is a lot to see and plenty of places for lunch. Lindisfarne priory and the castle are both open to the public, it also has a quaint little fishing harbour. After visiting the island you can return to Berwick by a different route. Overnight Berwick-upon-Tweed, England.

FINAL DAY: Return to Edinburgh. Today you catch the train back to Edinburgh and return your bike.

Travel Description

RAIL TRAVEL from LONDON to EDINBURGH (NOT included in tour price): There is an hourly train service from London (Kings Cross) to Edinburgh. The nearest international airport is Glasgow, just one-hour away.

RAIL TRAVEL from BERWICK-UPON-TWEED to EDINBURGH (included in tour price): There is an hourly train service from Berwick upon Tweed to Edinburgh.

ARRIVING and DEPARTING by EUROLINES or NATIONAL EXPRESS COACH: This is by far the cheapest option for long-distance travel in England, Scotland, and Wales. There are very convenient buses from each major airport. National Express carries over 16 million passengers to 1000 different places in the UK every year, and thousands more from destinations across Europe and Ireland. You can purchase an e-Ticket where you print your travel ticket online in a matter of minutes OR you can obtain an m-Ticket and have your travel ticket sent to your mobile phone - no paper ticket required. You then present this to the driver on arrival.

ARRIVING BY CAR: Please ask for details.

Tour Start Location

Tour End Location

Interested?

If you want to book this cycling tour, or chat about an altered schedule, please get in touch.

Related Categories

Tour Code:

BA06

Options

Single Bike Hire £60. Discount rail tickets to Edinburgh and from Berwick upon Tweed

Grade

C

Grade Description

GRADE C (cycling): Between 18 - 35 miles (27 - 56kms) a day. We recommend that clients bring their own bicycle and equipment. We can arrange for the hire of this, if required. The cost would be about £70. You will start cycling about 10am and finish at approx. 4pm. These grades are for guidance only and will depend on weather conditions and your fitness.

Hi Richard,
I just wanted to let you know that we are back home and enjoyed ourtrip very much! Phillip was quite nice and took good care of us-He was on the downhill side of the Moorfoot Hills and it was a treat to see a friendly face.
We saw him early on the last transfer day because he was getting an early start home as his wife went into the hospital-I hope she is well, please send him our regards.

I also want to let you know how much we enjoyed our stay at Duncan House-the room was so lovely and Jeff was an outstanding host. I was extremely impressed with the extra effort he put into making our stay comfortable.

My husband had never done a cycle tour before, and he is sold-we will definitely travel that way again and he is already talking about the Highlands!

If you want more of a review or would like me to post one on a website, please let me know, Thanks for making all the arrangements for us,
Karen and Eli, Leyons, Colarado, USA.

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